After featuring Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., it’s only appropriate that today be dedicated to their wives, Betty Shabazz and Coretta Scott King. There’s no doubt that Malcolm X and MLK wouldn’t be the men they were without the support of their wives. And when they were cut down in their primes, Betty and Coretta continued on, fighting the good fight.
Betty was active in the NAACP. She also served on a committee for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Coretta was an advocate for the rights of women and the LGBT community. She was instrumental in the establishment of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
It’s no surprise that these ladies would become friends. They had a lot in common. Their paths were similar. They were both single mothers who had to take the reins after the death of their husbands. They inherited their husbands’ causes. They were well known figures in the Civil Rights Movements. Betty & Coretta chronicles their story. Angela Bassett portrays Coretta and Mary J. Blige portrays Betty in this Lifetime film.
In a time where men were the face of a movement, it’s good to see the legacy of these women immortalized. With Betty & Coretta, Angela Bassett has played both Betty Shabazz and Coretta Scott King, which is alright with me. It doesn’t get any better than Angela Bassett. Betty & Coretta is available here.
